MSNBC puts search for 10 p.m. show on back burner (because Countdown repeat is doing so well)

MSNBC puts search for 10 p.m. show on back burner

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer David Bauder, Ap Television Writer – 18 mins ago

NEW YORK – MSNBC is much less likely to start a third prime-time news show because its executives are pleased with how well a repeat of Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" is doing at 10 p.m. EDT.

Earlier this year, MSNBC chief executive Phil Griffin talked of actively searching for a new 10 p.m. host. Reruns of Olbermann's 8 p.m. show have aired there since March 2008.

Yet in October, Olbermann has averaged 600,000 viewers in that later time slot, nearly on par with Anderson Cooper's 689,000 on CNN, the Nielsen Co. said. In the 25-to-54 demographic which MSNBC most actively courts, Olbermann's rerun beat Cooper's first-run show in that hour for the first time ever. Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren leads with just under 2 million total viewers.

Olbermann's rerun is getting nearly 60 percent of the audience that his first-run show does earlier in the evening, Nielsen said.

"We're looking, but nothing (new) has even come close to going in there at 10," Griffin said. "We've set the bar so high we don't want to break that success."

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_tv_late_news

Heck, they could do a Howard Stern-type thing where they just basically tape the first hour of his radio show. Just add a video connection to the people he interviews so when authors or think-tank people come on (or Bernie Sanders) we could see both sides of the conversation. Some graphics people to make charts and animations for him to discuss his topics, etc.

He wouldn't even have to leave Oregon.

And a bunch that were excruciatingly poor.

his show.

And XM wants $10/month for a subscription for that??

Lawrence O'Donnell

Sometimes I have to work late so the only time I can catch Keith is on his rerun at that time.

Particularly here on the West Coast, a lot of people miss all or part of Keith's "live" show, because they aren't home from work yet at 5:00 PM. So naturally, the repeat after Rachel works better for them.

Alternatively, MSNBC could make the new show (Thom Hartmann would be my suggestion) and then just run the whole block of programming (Ed/Tweety/Keith/Rachel/Thom) on both an East Coast and West Coast feed, as most other networks do. NBC/Universal certainly has the satellite infrastructure already in place to do this.

Makes it easy for 'em to watch Rachel at 6 and then catch the rerun of Keith at 7.

I do like the idea of a new show and then splitting prime time into East Coast and West Coast feeds, though. Wonder whether they've considered that.

:evilgrin:

Combined they don't equal Fox. I didn't expect that.

But raw numbers don't necessarily translate into good ad revenue. It's better for advertisers to have a smaller audience with more desirable characteristics (ie 25 to 64 yo, college educated, high income) than it is to have a large audience of people who aren't in your target market.

while CNN and/or MSNBC or on higher tiers? Thought I read that somewhere. That could explain the higher viewership.

:shrug:

We have direct tv, and I just took a look at their different packages. CNN, FOX, and MSNBC all come on the 2nd tier.

His radio program is incredibly informative

I'm amazed they have millions of viewers round the clock, I guess brainwashing does work and they just keep coming back for more.

Reliving their glory days when the Air Force almost won the Vietnam War. "It's all CBS' fault that we pulled out! We could have won if we stayed in there!!"

perpetually EVERYWHERE! It' on in the Dr's office, the car dealership, the Dentist's office, almost every store that has a TV on, and damn...it was even on it the ER waiting room when I was there!

I've been old that Fox GAVER TV's to a lot of those places in exchange for the agreement that the business would keep it tuned to Fox News!

jeeeez...


Maybe Brooklyn zoo could use her as an exhibit ....

at 7 instead of the Tweety repeat.

especially Rachel's show. Usually the subsequent broadcasts are on while I cruise DU.

Several months ago, my son got a DVR just so life at home didn't have to halt at 8 & 9pm. Friday nights are the worse when you can't trust MSNBC to always replay at 10 & 11 (though they've gotten better lately).